Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-09-14

nsnter who happened TO be in their path
without grove 20 shelter him. saw. in
1851, on the Loup fork OF the Platte river.
AN emigTant camp which had been run
over by stampede. There had been seven
wagons and twenty-four people, with
about thirty head OF horses and cattle.
The rushing, tcrror-stricken herd struck
the camp just at daybreak, and
was Fifteen or twenty minutes passing.
only one human being escaped-a man
who was carried of on the back of a buff
talo, and LEFT at spot ten miles away.
Not an animal was left. no. a vehicle es-
capped destruction. ] saw the site of the
camp about noon Of that day, anil there
wasn't piece Of any OF the heavy wagons
which could not have carried OF under
my arm. The people had been tramped
into the earth-annihilated-w out.
The remains could scarcely be recognized
ns those Of human beings.
But rs 90 my own adventure. There
were four hunters Of us i'm the locality
spoken Of, killing various kinds Of game and
doing little trapping, and though there
we're plenty OF redskins in that country,
they did not get on 20 us for a week. We
had camp on a small run or creek, with
grove 81 about n dozen trees for shelter
and about two miles 10 the north was
spring aud another grove. The Indians
hadn't got hold Of Winchestsrs and knew
nothing OF rovolvors in those days, and a
war party OF less than twenty-five would
have hesitated % attack four hunters.
We Kept our eyes open, however, and
ono was on the watch while
the other three slept. We had been in
camp nine or ten days, and constantly
surrounded by bufYaloes, when, one after
noon, just before sunset. Il was apparent
from the actions OF the animals that some
thing was in the wind. Tho detachment
were consolidating, all stray bulls Joining
the herds, and almost cvory buffalo ceased
foed'ng and acted anxious and III at ease.
That meant Indians. Curious rs you may
think Il, the presence OF an Indian will
disturb the bulfalOes sooner than that of
the white man.
have spoken Of the second grove. IL
was composed Of few stunted cotton
woods, and was in no sense shelter.
Now this Is what happened during the
night. a war party Of about thirtv-hve
Indians took up thor position i'm this little
grove, calculating 20 sweep down on us at
daylight and carry our camp by storm.
Along toward daylight they mounted and
rode softly down 10 within n quarter Of a
mile OF US, and there waited for day to
break. They would be observed by the
sentinel, but would make n rush and carry
tho camp. Well, il was just coming day,
aud five minutes more wolld have dis
covered them to tho sentinel, when
he big herd, which had boon gath
ring 90 the north Of US began
stampede. The sentinel heard
them at the first start of, and rousod us
up, and by tho time wo had our guns in
hand wo could SEQ tho Indian war party.
They know what was up bettor than we
did, but they were caught between two
fires, aud the chief was too slow-witted for
the occasion. His policy should have been
TO charge US. He might have lost six or
eight mon, but the shelter Of tho grove
would have saved the rcst and given them
our scalps 90 boot. lilo might not have
known our strength, aud so, aftor spend
ing the valuable minutes in reflection, he
ordered the party or % the loft. The only
hope they coald have was in riding across
the face of the herd, but that was out of
the question. The front covered, as we
afterward know, distance Of seven miles,
and the Indians had barely got started
when the first buiTaloes were in sight.
They came thicker than bees, their heads
down, horns rubbing and feet making a
great chatter, and while we looked we saw
the war party swallowed up in that great
hcaving sea of animal life. A moment
later an old bull dashed into and throu yb
the grove, and every man sprang for
tree. As was climbing up my feet struck
n buffalo on the back, and before was SO
cure only tho five largest trees in the grove
were standing. All others had been nip
rooted by contact, and three crippled an
imals were lying on the ground beneath
me. Our horses, camp, every thing, went
In two minutes. Tho noise was ten times
more dcafening than n hurricane at sea,
and the terror of the animals was some
thing appalling.
have told you that the front Of the
hord was seven miles across. You can
Judge what tho depth must have been
when / tell you that thoy were three hours
in passing. Every animal was running
Tor his life, and his pace could not have
bccn less than ten miles an hour.
shouldn't hesitate e. make affidavit that
the herd was a good thirty miles deep.
The animals ran, as we afterward knew,
fully forty miles before they slowed down
ut all. When the last one had passed us
the country about US was n sight 10 Le-
bold. There was ut least one hundred and
fifty dead or crippled animals IN sight,
aud there was a swath seven miles wide
which had cut tho very life out Of the
prairie. OF al our camp equipage we
could not find one solitary article Of wood,
or iron, or leather. All our horses had
been trampled undcr within less than a
mile of tho grove, and their bodies wcro
sights no ono could look at twice. We
spread oSt 90 ace what fate had befallen
the Indians, and we did not have to 20
far. They hal been knocked down end
stamped into the earth. a member Of the
same tribe, with whom talked rear lat
or, told me that not one survived, and the
loss had almost demoralized the tribe.